


you are my soulmate pt. i

by heynineteen



Category: Mamamoo, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: F/M, Soulmates, Soulmates AU, armymoo, bangtanmoo, btsmoo, taein - Freeform, wheetae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26010913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heynineteen/pseuds/heynineteen
Summary: it wasn't their names written on each other's bodies, but they knew they were soulmates in every sense of the word. // prompt: soulmate universe where wheein and taehyung aren't soulmates, but they fall in love anyway. twoshot.
Relationships: Jung Wheein/Kim Taehyung | V
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	you are my soulmate pt. i

**Author's Note:**

> wow,,, this took me so long to write. and i'm not even done with the second part (tbh i've just started on it). i've always loved the soulmates trope, and the prompt of them not being soulmates but falling in love with each other was something i knew i wanted to try writing. oh the potential angst for this kind of story! ngl it was fun writing this but it was also kinda difficult, had to power through some writer's block and such.
> 
> just want to say that i don't own bts or mamamoo! this is merely fanfiction, and none of these events are real and the wheein & taehyung and other characters in my story aren't who they are in real life. just something to keep in mind i guess when consuming fanfiction of real people - that they aren't the people in our stories. and also that though people ship celebrities (and i don't see much harm in that), we should also be respectful enough not to push our shipping agendas on them. just had to get this out of the way, and i think from now on i'll be putting this in all my fanfics, because i really want to emphasize that the people we write and read about in fanfictions are just ideas of those people, and that these stories shouldn't be used to push one's shipping agenda onto a celebrity haha idk. i guess in summary, let's consume & write fanfiction responsibly - always remembering the line between fiction and reality. anyways, that's it. without further ado, here's part 1 of the twoshot.

They say that your soulmate’s name is written somewhere on your body. It could be somewhere visible, like her mother’s soulmate mark on her wrist, or her grandmother’s mark on her collarbone. It could also be somewhere not easily seen, like Hyejin’s mark which was on her hipbone - only visible when her shirt would ride up while reaching for something, or if the two piece swimsuit she wore shifted in just the right way. Her mom would tell her about her father’s mark on the back of his ankle, only visible when he’d wear slippers that exposed that part of his leg. Basically, the mark could appear _anywhere_ \- even in intimate places, though Wheein hadn’t known of anyone with a soulmate mark down there.

Just as the location of soulmate marks differed, so did how people deal with the soulmate marks. Some people liked to show off their soulmate marks loud and proud - her grandmother wouldn’t shy away from wearing shirts back in the day that showed off her mark. She claimed that it would help her meet her soulmate much faster, which she wasn’t wrong about - she got to know her eventual husband (Wheein’s grandfather) when his sister was a server at a restaurant and caught a glimpse of the name written on the customer’s collarbone. The rest, as Wheein’s grandmother used to say, was history. Other people, such as her mom, tried to cover up the soulmate mark entirely. Her mom would never be seen without a watch or bangles covering the name on her wrist after their divorce - although she had eventually healed from what had happened, she didn’t like the constant reminder of the man who had ruined her and her daughter’s lives. Others tried covering it up with more permanent means - tattoos - though others used the ink to further decorate their soulmate mark.

Regardless of where the soulmate mark appeared and how the person dealt with these marks, the story behind it was still the same - apparently, the name on your wrist is your soulmate. That person is the one you’re meant to fall in love with, the one you’ll marry, the one you’ll be with until the day you pass away. They were your “other half,” as so many liked to describe it.

Wheein called bullshit on the whole thing.

You see, she was one of those people who was born without a soulmate mark. It was quite rare for someone to be born without a name on their body - Wheein was already twenty years old, in her second year of university, and she only knew two other people who were also born without soulmate marks. No one really knew for sure what it meant when one lacked a soulmate mark - did they not have a soulmate at all? Would it mean that they’d never experience love the way soulmates would? Were they doomed to be single forever? Did it mean anyone could be their soulmate?

Wheein refused to believe that people like her, without soulmate marks, would forever be doomed to a subpar relationship due to a lack of a name on their bodies. And okay, to be honest, she just didn’t believe in the idea of soulmates at all anymore. One person meant solely for another person? Yeah right. There were just too many complications with that idea. Aside from the fact that there were people born without soulmate marks, it was just statistically impossible that everyone would end up meeting or crossing paths with their soulmate. It wasn’t a given that they’d eventually end up together - what if they were from opposite sides of the world? What if one of them ended up passing away before they could meet? There were just too many complications regarding soulmates meeting and falling in love - and that wasn’t even touching on the challenge of staying together. As Wheein’s parents had so perfectly demonstrated, soulmates could fall out of love and end up hating each other - being with your soulmate didn’t exactly guarantee a happy ending.

So yeah. Soulmates? A load of bullshit.

/////

Taehyung believed in soulmates wholeheartedly. One could chalk it up to his romantic, idealistic nature, others would attribute it to his being naive, having grown up in the countryside, living a sheltered and comfortable life with a happy family. And though he had been slowly stripped of his naivety after moving to Seoul for university, his romantic, idealistic nature persisted, in part thanks to his exposure to different forms of art, of which love was often the flame that fueled these artistic creations, and also because he really was a romantic at heart.

He had memorized the name on the inside of his forearm - spent hours looking at it, thinking of what this Kim So-jung was like. Would she be as tall as him, or would he tower over her? Would she be quiet, at the edges of the crowd, or would he hear her chatter and laughter from a room away? Would she also be interested in the arts or music? Or would she be more into sports? During these times, he’d get the urge to look her up online - but it was an unwritten rule with most people that you didn’t do that even though you could - it took away from the magic of soulmates.

Instead of giving in to the urge to search for her profile, he’d turn his thoughts to what their first meeting would be like, and how their first date would go. Taehyung would probably invite her to go for a picnic in the park on a sunny day - he’d make her some lunch, complete with her favorite food - then they could go for a walk and get to know each other more. Taehyung sighed dreamily, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth - he was looking forward to meeting his soulmate. He would save his heart, he would wait for her, no matter how long it took.

////

Taehyung took a sip of his coffee. He was in the coffee shop by the university’s entrance along with Namjoon and Yoongi. The three friends had all signed up for a music subject this semester (including Taehyung, despite being an arts major), and for one their projects, they would have to create an original composition. They had formed a group along with Hyejin, a music major classmate of theirs with a husky, jazzy voice. Most of their meetings had been confined to the classroom, and today was the first time they’d be meeting outside of class. They had already struck up a comfortable rapport, so Taehyung wasn’t too worried about it being awkward – in fact, he’d go as far to say that they were fast becoming friends, with Namjoon-hyung being the exception, however, seeing the slightly lovestruck look in his eyes whenever Hyejin was around. There definitely was more than friendship on Namjoon-hyung’s part.

Tae glanced at his watch. “Where is Hyejin? I thought we’d be meeting at 3?” He asked the group.

Namjoon checked his phone, “She said a few minutes ago that she’d be here in ten minutes. Something about her professor asking her to stay after class to talk about something.” Yoongi quirked an eyebrow at Namjoon. “Looks like you’ve been texting her, huh?”

Both looked on amusedly at the dimpled guy whose ears were now turning pink. “I just asked her where she was. No big deal.” The tinkling sound of the front door opening saved Namjoon from whatever teasing remark the two were planning, and they all turned to stare at the slightly harried-looking, sultry-eyed, dark-haired girl walking briskly towards them.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” Hyejin apologized, taking a seat next to Namjoon, which Taehyung noticed caused the latter’s ears to turn from a pink to a red. “It’s fine,” Yoongi reassured her. “We weren’t here that long anyway.”

Taehyung pointed in the direction of the cashier. “Do you want anything to eat or drink before we start?” Hyejin shook her head, “No, it’s okay. Let’s start on the project now, I can order something later.”

Namjoon then brought out the music sheet he and Yoongi had been working on. “Here, this is what we’ve come up with so far. Take a look at it then let us know what you think.” Taehyung and Hyejin each got a copy, and proceeded to read through it.

“Wow, it’s really good.” Tae commented, placing the music sheet on the desk. Hyejin nodded her assent. “I agree, both of you are really good at this.” Yoongi smirked, “We know that already. Do you have any ideas on how to make this better?”

Half an hour later, they were all deep in conversation, coffee and snacks long forgotten. They were all hunched over the table and the respective music sheets, bouncing ideas back and forth when Hyejin suddenly caught sight of someone. She straightened up and waved to the person. “Wheein-ah!” she called out, gesturing for whoever it was to come to the table. Momentarily distracted by Hyejin’s actions, Taehyung glanced once more at the music sheet, trying to think of lyrics that fit better when a shadow fell over the table. Slightly annoyed by the intrusion, he glanced up, ready to ask the person to move a bit when the words suddenly died on his lips.

Taehyung was taken aback by her beauty. She wasn’t the doe-eyed, innocent beauty that Korean society loved. In fact, she was kind of intimidating in a way, especially with the slightly challenging look she gazed at Hyejin with. Her jet-black hair contrasted with her fair skin, her crimson lips were pursed in slight annoyance, and Taehyung caught a glimpse of a butterfly tattoo snaking around her forearm as she ran her hand through her hair. Taehyung gazed at her, unable to take his eyes off of her, when he heard someone clear their throat. He blinked, chastising himself for staring, and turned his attention back to what Hyejin was saying.

“Guys, I want you to meet Wheein – she’s been my best friend since middle school. Wheein, this is Namjoon-hyung, Yoongi-hyung, and Taehyung. They’re my groupmates for the project I was telling you about.” Wheein smiled and bowed at them, and as she did so, Taehyung noticed the deep dimple in her right cheek. _Cute._ It was so out of place with the rest of her features.

“Your shift is ending soon, right?” Hyejin asked, looking at her watch. Wheein nodded her assent, raising an eyebrow at her. Hyejin smiled sweetly at her and blinked her eyelashes “Can you please get me a latte then join us here when your shift’s over?” Hyejin quickly turned to the everyone at the table and pointed at Wheein, “She also likes to sing and sometimes she makes her own songs! In fact, I think she’s an even better singer than I am.” Hwasa chuckled. Taehyung glanced at Wheein to see a dusting of rose across her cheeks. She lightly smacked Hyejin in the arm and rolled her eyes, “Stop flattering me. Anyways, it’s rude for me to barge in on your group project.” As Wheein bowed to them and left, Hyejin pouted and called out, “Don’t forget my latte, okay?”

A few minutes later, an iced latte was plopped down the table by a perfectly manicured hand. Taehyung glanced up to see Wheein, Hyejin’s friend, standing beside their table. “Yah, here’s your latte,” she held her hand out towards Hyejin. “You owe me for that.” A silence fell over the table as Hyejin struggled to locate her purse. The other two were working on his and Hyejin’s suggestions, so Taehyung took this moment as a sort of break – after all, he had worked pretty hard so far. His eyes fell on the lady next to the table waiting for her cash, and he noted the tattoo of a girl on her other arm when his eyes were drawn to her backpack, which she had shifted in front of her to place the money in. His eyes widened – he had never seen a bag like this before, and before he knew it, the words made its way out of his mouth.

“I like your bag. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

She smiled prettily at him, showing off the dimple in her cheek. Taehyung could detect the pride in her voice as she answered. “Thank you, I made it myself.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened at the revelation. “Wow, you’re really talented. It’s really good.” He gestured towards the bag and commented offhandedly, “It actually reminds me of one of my favorite artists – Jean Michel Basquiat.”

Her grin turned wider and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the afternoon light. “He’s also one of my favorite artists! His works were the inspiration for my bag,” she gushed. She looked like she was about to say more when her phone beeped twice in succession. She glanced at it quickly, sending Taehyung an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I have to go now – it was really nice meeting you though.” She turned to the rest of them and bowed – “I’ll be off now, good luck on your project!”

Everyone at the table waved their goodbyes while Hyejin stood up and gave her a hug before reminding Wheein about something. As the door chimed, signaling her departure, Taehyung couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his face – it looked like he’d be gaining a new friend soon.

/////

Taehyung sat in the corner of the coffee shop, waiting for Wheein to finish her shift - they had struck up a friendship after that group meeting where Wheein’s backpack had caught Taehyung’s eye. It had only been a few months since that day, but their friendship had quickly blossomed since then. Excited to talk more about the favorite artist he shared with her, he began to drop by the coffee shop more often, doing his work there and striking a conversation with her during her breaks. He learned that she was also an arts major at Seoul National University, though with a different concentration, which probably explained why they hadn’t met before. Her part time job at the coffee shop to ease her family’s financial burden also meant that she wasn’t able to mingle with others a lot or involve herself in extracurriculars. Taehyung thought that had she joined clubs in line with her interests, they probably would have met earlier, seeing as how most of the guys in his friend group were involved in organizations in line with Wheein’s interests – Hoseok-hyung, Jimin, and Jungkook spent a considerable amount of time with the dance group, while Namjoon-hyung and Yoongi-hyung were dedicated to the music organization.

Taehyung was happy to have found a friend and kindred spirit in Wheein - she loved art like he did and understood the way art made him feel, and like him, her love for the arts spanned across different fields of it – painting, drawing, music, dancing. And despite the intimidating impression she’d first left on him, he had quickly come to realize that she was also quite possibly one of the most adorable people he’d ever met. The first time he had made her laugh, he was shocked to hear the loud, cackling laughter that erupted from her tiny frame, and it had taken a good while before the guffaws subsided into giggles and the giggles subsided into a slightly sheepish smile. Taehyung had smiled and teased her about it – how a laugh so loud could come from someone so tiny, and she had promptly taught him a lesson. Taehyung grinned at the memory – she packed a good punch, and Tae had wisely learned to put some distance between them whenever he was going to tease her about her height.

He straightened up as he saw her walking over to his table while untying her beige apron. She plopped down on the chair across from him and Taehyung watched amusedly as she stretched her hands out, tired from her shift. She grinned at him, showing off her dimple as she did so and Taehyung could feel his chest constricting a bit at the sight. So cute.

“What are you working on now?” she asked, glancing down at the sheet of paper on the table.

“Our professor asked us to sketch a place where we liked to spend our free time. He wanted us to practice perspectives and all,” Taehyung answered. He slid the paper over to her. “I was hoping to get your opinion on it.”

She brought her hands together in excitement and broke out into a smile, moved by the thought of someone sharing their artwork with her and asking her what she thought of it. Being an artist herself, she knew that sharing artwork with others was deeply personal, especially if it was one that was still a work in progress – it took courage and a certain level of trust to bare to someone one’s unfinished work in all its rawness and imperfection. She was even more touched that it was coming from Taehyung, who she had only recently gotten to know but already considered to be a close friend (and okay, maybe potentially more than a friend). She also knew that as charming as he could be, he was also a pretty introspective person, and sharing personal stuff didn’t come easily to him, especially something as personal as a work in progress.

She looked at his work, unconsciously chewing her bottom lip while analyzing it. Taehyung’s heart fluttered at her action, and he looked down at his forearm in an attempt to get a grip on himself. Lately, he had to keep telling himself that no, he didn’t like Wheein that way – so what if she was pretty and talented and adorable and kind and compassionate and understood him in a way no one had? They were fated to be just friends. Even if they understood each other on a deep, personal level, it didn’t really mean anything else – after all, she wasn’t and will never be Kim So-jung. Taehyung knew that fate had already destined this Kim So-jung for him – she would be his “other half” and would understand him in a way no one else ever would, including the girl in front of him.

But no matter how much he tried to remind himself of the fact that they weren’t meant to be anything else other than friends, the fluttering of his heart and the tightening in his chest remained whenever he was in her presence.

Wheein’s voice broke through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality. “This is pretty good, but I have some suggestions to make this piece better,” she commented, beckoning him to come closer. Taehyung tore his gaze from his forearm and leaned over the table, pushing all thoughts about soulmates out of his mind.

/////

Taehyung and Wheein soon fall into a routine of sorts. Living within the same vicinity, Tae has taken it upon himself to walk Wheein part of the way home after her shift at the coffee shop, until the point where they separate ways. After his class, he heads over to the coffee shop where he works on any assignments and projects. On the rare occasion where he has nothing to do, he walks around the campus or the coffee shop vicinity with his camera, taking photos of whatever catches his eye. He then makes his way to the coffee shop, arriving at exactly the time he knows her shift ends. They then make their way towards their homes, falling into a conversation about their day or whatever topic gets brought up. Sometimes, they would walk in a companionable silence, but today wasn’t one of those days.

Today, Wheein would ask him something that’s been on her mind for a while now. She had just recently come to terms with the fact her feelings for Taehyung weren’t entirely platonic anymore – something that she had grappled with during the past few weeks, especially since she knew perfectly well that he had a name engraved on his forearm that wasn’t Jung Wheein. Despite that, however, she still wanted to test the waters and see if there was a possibility of a them in the future. After all, she recognized the longing in his eyes when he looked at her - it was the same way she knew she looked at him.

The setting sun bathed their surroundings in a golden glow, and Wheein closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the warm sunlight. She turned to Taehyung, ready to ask him her question, when she stopped in her tracks, taken aback at the sight before her. The sun cast a warm glow around him, and with his long, dark hair and face that made girls swoon, he looked ethereal - almost like a god, in that moment.

Taehyung turned to her, noting the lack of movement in his peripheral vision, and was greeted by the sight of her staring at him with wide eyes. He called out to her. “What are you looking at?” he asked, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks at the thought of her staring at him. She shook her head, trying to get her bearings, before shuffling over to him.

“I have something to ask,” she started cautiously, peering at him from the corner of her eyes.

Taehyung nodded his assent, waiting for her question.

“What do you think about soulmates?” she asked, tilting her head up at him.

Taehyung stopped his tracks. “Soulmates?”

“Yeah,” Wheein nodded. “You know, soulmates and soulmate marks and all that,” she explained, jutting her chin out at his forearm.

Taehyung was a bit taken aback by her question. In all the months they’ve known each other, they’ve never touched on the topic of soulmates and whether they had one, although he was sure Wheein knew about his soulmate mark – he’d caught her on more than one occasion glancing at his forearm. He cleared his throat and took a step forward, beckoning Wheein to resume their stroll. “I like the idea of soulmates,” he said, staring straight ahead. “I’m a bit of a romantic at heart, so the idea of there being one person destined for you appeals to me.”

“So you do believe in the concept of soulmates,” she said, more of a statement than a question.

Taehyung nodded and ducked his head. “Yeah, I believe in soulmates and in waiting for that person to come along.” He stared resolutely at the ground, a bit embarrassed by his admission. Had he looked up earlier, he would’ve noticed the deflating of Wheein’s shoulders and the somber expression that passed her face, but by the time he looked up to throw back the question at her, she had already schooled her features into a neutral expression, as if his admission hadn’t just crushed her hopes.

“What about you? What do you think of soulmates?” he asked, curious to know her thoughts on the matter.

She smiled drily and shook her head. “I think it’s a load of bullshit.”

Taehyung raised his eyebrow at your answer. “Care to elaborate?”

She crossed her arms and stared at the ground, avoiding his gaze. Taehyung had spent enough time with Wheein to know that this was one of her defense mechanisms, something she did when she was uncomfortable. He placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” he told her. “We can talk about something else if you like.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said, giving him a small smile. “I was just trying to gather my thoughts.” They walked for a few moments in silence before Wheein spoke up again. “It’s just… statistically impossible you know?” She glanced at Taehyung, waiting for his reaction. He nodded, as if to let her continue. “There’s just…so many complications to it. What if your soulmate was born on the other side of the world? What are the chances that you’d meet? Or what if you and your soulmate spoke different languages? Does it mean that we’re only fated to people similar to yourself?”

“And what about those without soulmate marks? No one even knows what a lack of soulmate marks mean. Does it mean that we’ll never find love or that the love we find will never compare to the love soulmates have? Isn’t that a bit unfair?” she sighed and raked a hand through her hair when a hand grabbed her wrist. She jumped a bit at the contact, looking up to see Taehyung gazing at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

“We?” he asked, head cocked slightly to the side.

“We?” Wheein replied, confused at what he meant.

“When you were talking about people without soulmate marks. You said we,” Taehyung explained, watching Wheein’s cheeks turn pink as he spoke. “Do you… not have…” Taehyung trailed off, unsure of how to ask her without seeming rude. Thankfully, Wheein got the hint and nodded her confirmation. “Yeah, I don’t have a soulmate mark.”

“Oh.” Taehyung looked down and, noticing that he was still grasping on to her wrist, promptly dropped it in embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry, I’m—”

“It’s okay,” Wheein assured him, smiling the dimpled smile that he found so adorable on her.

They walked in silence for a moment before Taehyung asked her another question. “So, that’s why you don’t believe in soulmates, huh?”

Wheein shrugged. “Not entirely. I guess I also witnessed early on that even though people are soulmates, they don’t necessarily have a happy ending,” she explained, thoughts drifting back to the day her father had left them. She felt him give her hand a squeeze, and she glanced at him to see a sad smile on his face. He knew full well that she was referring to her parents’ divorce back when she was a kid, and he knew that to this day, it still wasn’t an easy topic for her.

He let go of her hand, and they continued walking until they reached the building that marked the diverging of their paths. As they waved goodbye and turned to different paths, Wheein bowed her head, trying to hide the tears forming in her eyes. Although looking back on the day her father left still affected her deeply sometimes, she knew in that moment that there was more to the heaviness in her heart than just the reminder of what her father had done to her family.

/////

Wheein was confused, to say the least.

She had thought that their friendship would be strained after the whole soulmate conversation – she was sure that her expression had given her feelings away. And yet, Tae showed up the next day just as she finished her shift, and he had walked her home (more specifically, until the building where they usually parted ways). It was as if the soulmate conversation was just another one of their everyday conversations, and so Wheein’s fears of a strained relationship was assuaged as the days passed.

Now, however, Taehyung was acting a bit weird.

He still showed up for their routine of walking home together, and he still dropped by the coffee shop every now and then to get work done and to talk to her. Despite his physical presence, however, Wheein felt that Tae was a bit distant with her lately. Most of their conversations was her talking about her day, and it took a lot of prodding to get information out of him – even something as mundane as how his day was. Their once companionable silence was now suffocating, and Wheein found herself racking her brains, trying to come up with a topic to fill awkward silence.

Wheein wasn’t sure what happened – her questions of “How are you?” and “Are you okay” were always met with a clipped “I’m fine,” and Wheein knew better than to push Taehyung to share something he wasn’t quite ready to share just yet. What confused her even more was that this all happened so suddenly – the past weeks before this all started, they had been alright. Even better than alright, if she were being honest with herself. There had been a lot more not-so-accidental touching during that time – a brush of the hands as she gave him something, the light touching of their arms as they walked home, his thigh pressed against hers on the bus to class – and she had caught him staring at her on more than one occasion, only for him to look down and flush at his being caught (to his credit, however, it wasn’t like she was any better). They were each other’s first and last messages of the day, and they regularly messaged each other during times they weren’t together.

Wheein wiped down the counter before taking off her apron and fixing her things. She glanced at her phone and saw that she had roughly five more minutes until Taehyung arrived for their afternoon ritual of walking home together. She made her way to the restroom and splashed some water on her face to freshen up. She straightened up, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, counting the seconds in her head as she did so. She could do this. It was about time she confronted him about what had been happening the past two weeks – maybe she did do something wrong, something that she wasn’t aware of. Or maybe something was going on with Taehyung – possible family problems? Whatever the reason was, Wheein wouldn’t be able to patch things up if she didn’t know in the first place what was wrong. And today, she planned to remedy that.

As she exited the restroom, she caught sight of a familiar figure dressed in all black outside of the coffee shop entrance. She hurried over, breaking out into a grin at the sight of him. He gave her a small smile in return, and Wheein’s chest tightened at how subdued his greeting was compared to how he’d greet her before. Finding out that she didn’t have that much of a chance with him due to the whole soulmates situation crushed her, but the feeling of slowly losing a friend was even worse, and Wheein had to swallow the lump in her throat before catching up to Taehyung, who had already started walking.

They walked in silence for a while before Wheein gathered the courage to talk to him.

“How have you been lately?”

“Hm?” Taehyung answered, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Wheein sighed, opting for a question that was easier to answer. “Are you okay, Tae?” she asked, glancing at him to observe his reaction.

He shrugged noncommittally. “I guess so, why do you ask?”

Wheein stared at the ground, unable to meet his eyes. “You seem a little off lately. You’ve been… kind of distant…” she trailed off.

“Just some stuff on my mind, I guess.” He answered in a clipped tone, as if there were no room for further discussion on it.

Something in Wheein broke at the tense way he had answered her, and she felt her eyes tearing up. The words were out of her mouth before she knew it. “Did- Did I—” her voice wavered. “Did I do anything wrong, Tae?”

He turned to her in surprise, about to ask her where that question came from, when he caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were glassy, as if tears were to fall any time soon, and he noted the slight quiver in bottom lip as they made eye contact. Fuck. She was about to cry. What had he done?

Wheein immediately averted her gaze, but it was too late – she was certain Taehyung had noticed that she was on the verge of tears. Before she could further berate herself for her display of emotions, she found herself being tugged into a warm embrace. She looked up to see Taehyung’s cheek resting against the top of her head, and she felt his arms tighten around her.

Taehyung’s heart broke at the thought of her on the verge of tears because of him, and before he knew it, he had pulled her into a hug. His arms tightened around her. He knew he had been distant lately – something had been bothering him for a while, and he had a lot on his mind because of that. Regardless of his reasons, however, he knew that Wheein deserved an apology and an explanation from him. He felt her arms cautiously wrap around him, as if unsure on how to proceed.

He buried his face in her hair. “I’m sorry, Wheein-ah.” He apologized. “I know I’ve been distant lately, but you didn’t do anything wrong at all I promise. It’s just that something’s been bothering me and I’ve been trying to deal with it.”

Wheein looked up at him with a disapproving look on her face. Now that her fears about her possibly being at fault were relieved, she felt worry grip at her heart. “You don’t have to go through it alone,” Wheein reminded him. “You can tell me about it, and I can help you with it.”

Taehyung inwardly scoffed. Oh, if only she knew that she was the reason he’d been having all sorts of thoughts lately. “No, it’s okay, I like reflecting on stuff on my own.” He then released her from his embrace before playfully flicking her nose. “Yah, and if I remember correctly, I’m not the only one who likes to do that too.”

Wheein huffed at his words – he got her there. She was also the type of person who liked to deal with problems alone before sharing it with others. “Okay fine, you have a point,” she pouted playfully. Taehyung grinned at her actions – she was just. so. cute. How was it even possible?

The silence that settled after the conversation was the comfortable kind, and Wheein inwardly smiled in relief – she hadn’t done anything wrong. Taehyung was just going through some stuff, and he wanted to deal with it by himself first. It’s okay because Wheein was like that too - she knew how important it was to be alone with your thoughts first before sharing stuff with others and getting their input on matters. Everything would be fine.

/////

Everything wasn’t fine.

It’s been a month since she’s confronted him about his aloofness, and it’s been two weeks since he stopped showing up at the coffee shop, and it’s also been two weeks since she’s met with him in person. They’ve texted a bit – mostly her asking if he’s okay and him reassuring her that yes he was okay, and no she didn’t do anything wrong – but that’s all. Wheein didn’t bother asking him why he hadn’t shown up – he was going through some stuff after all and needed some space to be alone – but she wouldn’t deny the lump that settled in her throat each afternoon as she waited for him to show up, to no avail.

She wiped down the counter and looked up at the clock. Five minutes till her shift ended. She felt her pulse quicken in anticipation – only for her to be sorely disappointed once again as the clock struck five and Taehyung was nowhere to be seen. Shaking her head, she took off her apron and headed to the washroom to freshen up. She rinsed her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror – how pathetic of her to keep hoping that he’d show up even after being unavailable the past two weeks. She groaned – she hated just how affected she was by this. Taehyung was one of her closest friends, and although she knew she’d be distressed if this happened with any of her other close friends, she was also perfectly aware that her growing feelings for Tae further heightened the anxiousness she felt as she waited for him to show up again – and this wasn’t healthy. She didn’t think she could take anymore of this waiting game. Making up her mind, she made her way out of the washroom and looked for her manager – hopefully he’d grant her a change in shift hours on short notice.

/////

Taehyung made his way down the sunny road, taking in the sights he hadn’t seen for a while now.

It’s been three weeks since he’s stopped showing up at Wheein’s coffee shop – there had been so much running through his mind, and he knew that he’d have a hard time processing it all if he was in such close contact with Wheein, given that she was the reason he’d been preoccupied lately.

He looked around, admiring the sights around him. The path that led from his apartment to the coffee shop was one decorated with different kinds of nature – flowers and trees and bushes and occasionally, a few birds – and though he’s walked this path a thousand times already, the beauty surrounding this path never failed to amaze him. He glanced at his watch – 10 minutes until her shift ended – and suddenly felt nervousness grip at his heart. He hoped she wouldn’t be too mad at him for not showing up for their daily afternoon stroll the past three weeks.

Taehyung sighed. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure if meeting her right now was a good idea. His thoughts and feelings were no less clear than several weeks ago, and he still found himself plagued by the idea of soulmates and his growing feelings for someone who most definitely wasn’t Kim So-jung. It was just so strange. The world had already told Taehyung the person who was the best fit for him, and wasn’t it kind of strange to go against fate when time has shown that the whole system of soulmate marks do, in fact, work? Tae thought back to his family – his mother and father who were soulmates, as well both his grandparents who were also soulmates – and the happy life they had led and bestowed upon him. Their home was always showered with love, and Taehyung, from a young age, had witnessed the oh so special bond between his parents and grandparents that was (supposedly) a product of the whole soulmates thing.

Despite the confusion that has made its home in Taehyung’s mind for the past few weeks and despite the voice in his head telling him to give the matter some more thought and to stay away from Wheein until he’s had his moment of clarity, Tae had made up his mind to meet Wheein that day and to walk her home. He missed her greatly – missed her witty and sarcastic remarks, the sound of her laughter, the way she slapped his arm when he teased her, the sense of calm and peace that washed over him whenever he walked with her in silence – and he didn’t think he could stand any more of this distance he had put between himself and Wheein.

He reached the coffee shop and leaned against the wall beside the door. He checked his watch – a minute left till her shift ended - and proceeded to scroll through his Instagram feed to distract himself as he waited.

A minute passed, then five, then ten. Taehyung started to fidget – she always came out a minute or two after her shift ended – what was taking her so long this time? And as the ten minutes turned to fifteen minutes and the fifteen to thirty, Taehyung decided to go look for her inside the coffee shop.

He was shocked to discover that Wheein wasn’t in her usual place by the counter. Instead, there was a tall, dark-haired guy with large eyes who looked rather familiar. Taehyung cocked his head to the side, trying to remember where he had seen this guy before, when he suddenly remembered – he was one of the coworkers Wheein was good friends with, and Tae remembered her introducing them to each other several months ago.

Taehyung made his way to the counter. Vernon broke out into a grin at the sight of his coworker’s best friend. “Hi, Tae! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. What can I get you today?” Taehyung shook his head and smiled. “No, it’s okay, I was just going to ask you something – do you know where Wheein is?” He bit his lip in worry. “She isn’t here today, and it’s just weird because she’s usually here during this time and she usually shares the same work hours as you.”

Taehyung watched as a somber expression flit across Vernon’s face. The latter leaned in closer to Taehyung. “I’ve heard that she asked for a different shift, though when I asked her about it she wouldn’t say why.” Taehyung opened his mouth, ready to ask about Wheein’s new shift hours, but Vernon beat him to it, an apologetic smile appearing on his face. “I’m sorry, Tae, I don’t think we’re allowed to disclose information of coworkers’ shift hours.”

Tae smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s okay, Vernon. Thank you for your help.” He turned around to leave as Vernon waved goodbye, and as the bells above the door chimed, signaling his exit, he couldn’t help the feeling of dread that settled in his gut. Wheein had asked for different shift hours, and hadn’t deemed it important that he know about the changes in her work schedule.

He strolled down the path that he had walked countless times with her, and he tried to ignore the tugging in his heart at the lack of footsteps falling in time with his own. Where there was once plenty of chatter to fill the air, this time Taehyung’s only company was silence, and it seemed to grow louder with every step he took. He held back the tears pricking the corners of his eyes, and as he reached the building where they went their separate ways, his chest tightened uncomfortably. He grit his teeth and went on his way, desperately ignoring the emptiness in his heart.

_Fuck._

/////

“What?!” Taehyung asked incredulously, the chopsticks in his hand falling into the bowl with a clatter.

Namjoon shook his head. “Yah, your chopsticks are now swimming with the noodles.”

Taehyung felt around for his chopsticks, not once tearing his gaze off of the older guy. “Say it again please, hyung – I- I think I’m hearing things.”

Namjoon inwardly rolled his eyes. Taehyung could be so dramatic at times. “Park Jimin, your best friend since you were in diapers, is Hyejin’s soulmate.”

“B- b- but,” Taehyung stuttered. “You’re with Hyejin!”

“Excellent observation, Sherlock,” Namjoon remarked drily, a smirk pulling at the edges of his mouth. It seemed like Jin-hyung wasn’t the only person in the group with an affinity for the performing arts. With the way Taehyung was acting now, Namjoon was pretty sure he could seriously consider a career in the film industry.

Taehyung was silent. Namjoon had been around Taehyung enough for him to know that the latter was probably processing everything in his mind. Namjoon remained silent, knowing full well that Taehyung liked silence when he was mulling over things. He reached for a dumpling and chewed it thoughtfully before addressing Namjoon. “Does this mean you and Hyejin will break up?”

“What? No!” Namjoon exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. “Our relationship is going really well, why would we break up?”

“But you aren’t her soulmate – Jimin is.”

“And so?” Namjoon shrugged, blowing the surface of the piping hot soup before taking a sip. “Just because they’re soulmates doesn’t mean that Hyejin’s gonna drop me and go be with Jimin now that she’s found him.”

Taehyung looked confused at this. “But who wouldn’t want to be with their soulmate? Wouldn’t you want to be with your soulmate, hyung?” His eyes flitted to Namjoon’s soulmate mark, peeking out underneath the watch he wore which, apparently, didn’t contain the name Ahn Hyejin.

“I guess. Maybe if I hadn’t met Hyejin, I would’ve wanted to be with my soulmate.” Namjoon took a sip of his water thoughtfully. “but I met Hyejin before I could meet my soulmate, and I ended up falling in love with her, and we’re both really happy now.”

Taehyung chewed his bottom lip, deep in thought. Namjoon also mulled things over. He wasn’t stupid – he knew that Taehyung had feelings for Wheein, and he was pretty sure that those feelings were also reciprocated. It wasn’t known to many, but Namjoon happened to be a pretty observant guy, and he had witnessed over the past months the blossoming friendship between the two, as well the feelings they both were trying their best to suppress. He also knew that they weren’t on speaking terms now, and Namjoon was willing to bet his savings that it was the man in front of him who had distanced himself in an attempt to sort out his thoughts about the matter. Namjoon sighed inwardly. Taehyung, though not as naïve as he had been when he entered university, was still quite the romantic at heart who held on to the idea of soulmates. And it was this attachment to the concept of soulmates in general that presented the biggest obstacle to Taehyung and Wheein’s feelings for each other.

He took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully. He knew that Taehyung looked up to him and saw him as a brother figure, which meant that Taehyung often took to heart whatever Namjoon said. However, he also knew that if he was too pushy with his own beliefs and dismissed Taehyung’s idea of soulmates, the latter would go on the defensive and cling to his views even more. He had to strike a balance between the two and play his cards right if he wanted to nudge Taehyung in the right direction – the direction of Jung Wheein. Okay – maybe it wasn’t really his place to play matchmaker, but the two were just so. damn. cute. And they would make such a good couple – they complemented each other and helped balance each others’ weaknesses, and they were both passionate about the arts. Anyways, it wasn’t as if he were telling Taehyung what to do – he was just giving him some brotherly advice; in the end, it was up to Taehyung what to do with that advice.

With his internal monologue finished, Namjoon proceeded to break the silence that had fallen over the table. “I mean, I don’t think the universe is wrong about my soulmate,” Namjoon started. Taehyung tilted his head, now even more confused than before, but he remained silent, waiting for the older guy to finish – Taehyung could tell that his hyung had something more to say. “I think that had I met my soulmate earlier, I think we would’ve had a really good relationship as well. I’m not sure if we would stay with each other, because there are some soulmates who end up parting ways,” Namjoon glanced at Taehyung as he said this, knowing full well that the image of Wheein’s family had popped up at his words. “But I think we would’ve loved each other and had a real connection, the kind of connection that happens between soulmates.”

Namjoon shrugged. “But I don’t think the names on our wrists are something that we have to follow at all costs. I think, in the end, it’s more like… a guide.”

“A guide?” Taehyung interrupted.

“Yeah, a guide.” Namjoon nodded, moving the remnants of his meal around. “I think soulmate marks are the universe’s way of saying that, ‘hey, if you got together with this person, you’d be very happy and experience a connection like no other,’ but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people with whom you could potentially experience something like that with.”

“In the end, I think of soulmates as a guide, the universe’s best guess as to who you’d best be together with. I think that those guesses can sometimes be off, since there are soulmates who get together that end up separating; but a lot of the time, those guesses are quite right. But in the end, it’s just a guess, and I think that there are other people whom you can end up loving and having a connection with. I guess in the end, it’s up to the person to decide. You can choose to follow the universe’s best guess and wait for or go after your soulmate, or you can decide to pursue someone you have feelings for, even if they might not be your soulmate.”

The table was silent once more after Namjoon’s mini-speech, and Taehyung went back to chewing his bottom lip, deep in thought once more. Namjoon reverted his attention back to his meal, and proceeded to finish off the food left on the table, seeing as how Taehyung probably wouldn’t be getting another bite any time soon.

“What you’re saying does make sense, that there are other people we could also be with…” Taehyung trailed off. “Wheein once mentioned that it was statistically impossible for people to cross paths with their soulmate at any point in their lifetime, and that there were a lot of complications to the idea of having just one person meant for you.”

Namjoon pursed his lips and nodded. “She’s a smart one.”

Taehyung seemed to not have heard Namjoon’s statement. If he had, he would’ve immediately seconded what Namjoon said, with a hint of pride at his voice at the compliment directed towards the girl he cared about deeply, even if they weren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment. However, Tae’s mind at the moment was running at a mile per minute, trying to take in everything the guy he looked up to had said. Something about Namjoon’s idea of soulmates nagged a bit at Taehyung, and he nudged Namjoon’s foot. “Hyung, I have a question.”

“Go ahead,” he replied, placing his chin on top of hand.

“Do you think that it would be more… I don’t know,” Taehyung mumbled, racking his brains to find the perfect word. “…more special if you were together with your soulmate than someone who isn’t your soulmate?”

Namjoon pondered upon Taehyung’s question. It was actually a really good point he had brought up. “Well, I think that being together with one’s soulmate is special, a different kind of special, because.. I mean, they’re your soulmate.”

Taehyung nodded and hummed noncommittally, waiting for Namjoon to gather his thoughts. “…but, I also think that there’s something special about being with someone who isn’t your soulmate,” Namjoon continued. “In fact, in a way, I think it’s even more special, because you chose them. You chose to be with that person even if the universe didn’t exactly point you towards that person.”

A dopey smile flit across Namjoon’s face before he could school his features into a more neutral expression. “That’s why Hyejin’s so special to me even if she isn’t my soulmate. It’s because even though the universe pointed us towards different people, in the end, we chose each other.”

Taehyung smiled at the lovesick look on his hyung’s face, and he playfully shook his head. “Aish, hyung – you’re so whipped for her.”

Namjoon’s smile turned bashful, but he made no move to deny Taehyung’s comment. With one last sip of their drinks, they stood up, paid for their food, and made their way home.

And though the walk home was silent, with only the sound of their footsteps and the occasional snippets of conversation by others also on their way back home filling the air, Taehyung’s mind was running at a mile per minute, deep in thought, and Namjoon could practically hear the other boy thinking. He sent a silent plea to the universe – _please please please let things work out for them._

_/////_

Taehyung spent a lot of time thinking about what Namjoon had said during their dinner. A week had passed since that day and Taehyung had finally come to a decision about what to do. He had just exited the flower shop, bouquet of sunflowers, daisies, and roses in hand, when he heard his phone beep. Moving to the side so that people could continue to pass the sidewalk, Taehyung felt around his pockets for his phone. He turned on the screen to see that he had two unread messages – one from Namjoon during the late afternoon, reassuring him that everything would turn out fine, and the more recent one being from Jimin, who had sent Taehyung a selfie with his thumbs up, also wishing him luck. Taehyung cracked a smile at the latter’s antics – thankfully, he had handled the news of his soulmate being in love with someone else pretty well. Taehyung had been confused during their phone call after his ramen date with Namjoon – apparently, people nowadays were more openminded about the whole soulmates idea, Jimin included.

He pocketed his phone and continued walking. The sky was dark, but the streets were still alive with people eating out and going shopping and celebrating the start of the weekend. A cool breeze blew through the streets, and Taehyung quickened his pace. He tended to get cold easily, and he didn’t want to risk the chill to mess with his system, especially not tonight. Several minutes later, the exterior of the building came into view, and Taehyung made his way inside, climbing the two flights of stairs to Wheein’s apartment.

Face to face with her apartment door, Taehyung steeled his nerves before pressing the doorbell on the right side of the door. He held his breath, waiting for her telltale footsteps. It was silent, however, and Taehyung counted to 30 before ringing the doorbell once more. Again, it was silent. He decided to try a different method, and proceeded to knock loudly on her door, raising his voice a bit. “Wheein-ah?” he called out, but still, there was no answer. Sighing, he slid to the floor, leaning his head against the wall, and proceeded to scroll through his Instagram feed while waiting for her.

But the 5 minutes of waiting turned into 15 minutes, and the 15 minutes to an hour, and soon it had been around two hours since he first knocked on her door. Taehyung glanced at his watch, worried – it was already 10:30, and he knew for a fact that Wheein never usually came home this late. She was such a homebody – during weekends were most people liked to go out and celebrate, Wheein could often be found at her apartment in her pajamas, either working on some art, watching a movie, playing with her cat, or eating – she rarely came home late.

Taehyung’s worry increased as another hour passed. He chewed on his bottom lip nervously, a habit of his when anxious, and contemplated asking her where she was. He reached for his phone, about to call her – surprise be damned, what if something had happened to her? – when he heard footsteps and a small squeak of surprise.

Taehyung looked up to see the object of his worry staring at him, a look of shock etched on her face. Relief spread throughout Taehyung’s body, and he stood up, brushing off the back of his pants. “Hey, where’ve you been?” he asked, concern for her overriding the stuff he had come here to say in the first place.

Wheein looked over his shoulder, avoiding his gaze. “Work. My shift just ended,” she explained.

“And you walked home alone?” he asked incredulously.

Wheein shrugged, looking at anywhere but him, and Taehyung’s heart clenched at the thought of her walking home by herself at this hour. He knew that the city was generally a safe one, but he couldn’t help but be worried at the thought of a woman walking home alone at night, especially one that he cared for deeply – what if something happened to her? He was about to tell her off for walking alone at this time, when he did a double take. He took a step forward, gazing at her intently, and Wheein took a step back, unsure about the sudden proximity.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked in a gentle tone, raising his hand as if to cup her face, but thinking better of it. “You look tired – have you been overworking yourself?”

She shook her head, cheeks burning at the answer that slipped from her lips. “No, I just haven’t been able to sleep well since…” she trailed off.

“Since?” Taehyung prodded.

“Since…” she mumbled, jerking her head towards him. She refused to meet his eyes, and Taehyung felt guilt flood his body at the knowledge that his actions had caused her restless nights. He turned back to pick up the bouquet that lay forgotten on the floor, and he held it out to her. “Here,” he said in a low voice.

Wheein tilted her head, confused at what was happening, and tentatively reached out to grasp the flowers. “Uh, thanks? What’s the occasion?”

Taehyung ran his hand through his hair, causing several strands to fall over his eyes. “I wanted to apologize to you for the past weeks, for being distant and for pushing you away.”

She smiled, but Taehyung noticed that it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s okay, I accept your apology.” She took a step closer and Taehyung’s heart quickened in anticipation, but instead of hugging him, she proceeded to enter the combination on her door. The door opened, and she quickly made her way inside before poking her head out once more. “Thank you for this, I guess I’ll see you around. Good night.” she said politely.

Taehyung didn’t stop to think and quickly jammed his foot in the door. “Wait,” he said. “There’s something I want to say.”

Wheein raised her eyebrow, not letting go of the door.

Taehyung took a deep breath. “Is it okay if I come in?”

She blinked. Then, nodding slowly, she opened the door, allowing him to step inside her apartment.

Taehyung sighed in relief as he stepped inside. He felt a pang of longing wash over him – it had been a while since he’d been to her apartment. He heard her clear her throat, and he shook his head – he’d come here to explain what had been going through his mind the past weeks, and the realizations he’d had.

“So,” he started, looking up at Wheein to see her with arms crossed and a defiant gaze. “From the moment my grandmother explained to me the concept of soulmates, I believed in it wholeheartedly.” Wheein raised her eyebrow, a bit confused as to where this was going, but she remained silent, prompting Taehyung to continue. “In fact, I even made a promise to myself, that I’d wait for Kim So-jung, and I wouldn’t get involved with anyone else. I thought that everyone did the same. But when I went to university, I realized that not everyone thought that way.” He let out an embarrassed smile at the admission. “In fact, few people thought that way, and I was part of that few, as you already know.”

She smiled tightly and nodded her assent, their talk of soulmates was something Wheein didn’t like being reminded of, since it only further served to prove that nothing would come out of her feelings for Tae. Tae was too engrossed in what he had to say, however, that he failed to notice the tension radiating from Wheein. “And this was why I was confused when I started feeling things for you that I thought I could only feel towards my soulmate.” His hand went to the back of his neck, and he glanced at Wheein to see that her eyes had widened at his words. “I know you don’t believe in soulmates, but I didn’t share the same sentiments, which was why I was so confused about my feelings for you.”

Taehyung gazed at the floor, ashamed to say the next words. “And I thought back then that the solution would be to distance myself from you, to be able gather my thoughts about the entire matter, but I think I might’ve gone too far with that. I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking up from the floor. To his relief, Wheein nodded, accepting his apology once again.

“That was why I’d been distant lately – I was trying to sort out my feelings for you. And it was hard for me to do so when we were always together.” Taehyung took a deep breath. “But I had dinner with Namjoon-hyung recently that helped me realize some stuff.”

“I realized I might have been wrong about soulmates.” He saw her raise her eyebrow in question, doubting his statement, and he rushed to clarify himself. “I mean, I still do believe in soulmates.” At that, her expression morphed from one of disbelief to something more neutral. “I think that soulmates do exist, but not in the way I used to think. I used to think that soulmates were something set in stone, something you had to follow, but…” Taehyung trailed off, trying to find the right words to say.

“But I realized that maybe they weren’t something humans had to follow at all costs. Maybe, they were just a guide, you know?” he looked at her to see her reaction, but she gave no indication of assent or dissent regarding his statement. Taehyung forced himself to continue. “That the name on my wrist was just the universe’s way of telling me that I’d probably end up happily with this person, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t love anyone else or find happiness with someone other than my soulmate. I mean, look at Namjoon-hyung and Hyejin – they aren’t soulmates, but they’re so happy together.”

“And it also got me thinking. Even though ending up with your soulmate would be special, since you ended up with the person who the universe thought was right for you, it doesn’t mean that ending up with someone other than your soulmate is less special. In fact,” he swallowed. “Depending on how you look at it, ending up with someone other than your soulmate could be even more special, since you’re choosing them despite the world sort of telling you otherwise.”

He watched her run a hand through her hair and sigh. “What exactly are you trying to say, Tae?” she asked. Taehyung took this moment to observe her and drink the sight of her in, and her current stance spoke of a myriad of emotions – tiredness, thinly-veiled frustration, and an undercurrent of sadness and heartbreak. She hugged her arms even tighter, and he could detect the pain in her voice. “You ignore me for weeks, then you show up at my apartment in the middle of the night, rambling about your realizations about soulmates, and I still don’t know why you’re suddenly telling me all this – mmph!”

Whatever she had been planning to say was cut off as Taehyung suddenly leaned in and kissed her at the corner of her mouth. He pressed his forehead against hers and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Taehyung closed his eyes, taking in the moment and the feel of their bodies close to each other. He had wanted to do this for so long, and it felt so good to finally be able to do it. “Jung Wheein, I think I love you,” he whispered.

All he could hear was silence, and he stepped back, dropping his hands from her shoulders, to see her gazing at him with an unreadable expression and her mouth ajar. Taehyung’s cheeks burned in embarrassment, and he realized belatedly that he probably shouldn’t have kissed her and confessed his feelings. “I—I’m sorry,” he stuttered. “I think I’ll go now.”

He had barely taken a step when he felt a hand close around his wrist. He turned around in surprise, only to be tugged towards her and to feel her lips pressed against his. Startled, it took Taehyung a moment before he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pressing her closer to him. He felt her arms snake around to his back, and they pulled apart for air. Wheein dropped her arms from where they were wrapped around Taehyung, and he promptly felt a hand slide into his. He looked down to see that she had intertwined their fingers together.

“I was wondering if this was ever gonna happen,” she said exasperatedly, a grin making its way on her face. “And it would be nice next time if you didn’t shut me out.”

Taehyung blushed. “Wait, so does this mean… we’re…” he gestured helplessly between them.

“We’re what?” Wheein smirked, unable to resist the urge to tease him a little bit more.

He pouted. “You’re making fun of me!” he crossed his arms in a childish manner, embarrassed at her teasing. The night so far had felt too good to be true, and Taehyung was a bit scared at saying something that could ruin everything and make the atmosphere awkward again. Gathering every ounce of courage he had left, he asked her. “So does this mean we’re…together?” he asked, cringing inwardly at how awkward he sounded.

She let out a laugh, and Taehyung felt warm all over at the sound of her laughter – he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed hearing her laugh. “Yeah, I guess so,” she nodded, before tiptoeing to press her lips to his cheek. “I love you too.” Before Taehyung could show her once again just how much he loved her, however, she tugged on his arm, pulling him deeper into her apartment. “Come on, I’ll make us some instant noodles,” she said, her eyes sparkling as Taehyung’s eyes lit up at the sound of food. “We have a lot to talk about.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was the longest work i've ever written! it was tiring (i worked on it for two weeks) and it was something new to me since i'm not a very patient person and i like finishing things right away - hence why most of my stories are oneshots/drabbles and i haven't tried writing anything multi-chaptered! well,,, at least not yet? haha. so yeah this is something incredibly new to me but i had fun! i'm trying to write as much as i can before school starts, but i hope to be able to continue updating and writing more content even when school starts since i find writing and sharing it with you all to be quite therapeutic. i'll hopefully have the part 2 finished by next week or next next week,,,, let's see haha. thank you so much for reading this! i appreciate it so much.


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